1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the dispersal of material, a fire extinguishing agent for example, into an ambient atmosphere and particularly to release into the atmosphere of fire and/or explosion suppressant materials from sealed storage containers. More specifically, this invention is directed to containers for the storage of dry or liquid materials such as fire extinguishing and/or explosion preventative agents, and especially to such containers wherein the stored material will be caused to be ejected from the container and carried into the ambient atmosphere by means of a pressurized propulsive gas in response to the generation of a command signal. Accordingly, the general objects of the present invention are to provide novel and improved methods and apparatus of such character.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While not limited thereto in its utility, the present invention is particularly well suited for use in protective systems and particularly as an aid in explosion suppression or fire protection. It is known in the art to provide, at judiciously selected locations within a structure, storage containers for fire extinguishing and/or explosion preventing agents. For example, in suppression systems for preventing dust and/or gas explosions, pressurized containers filled with an extinguishing agent in powder or liquid form are often provided. These containers are typically pressurized to a level of 60 bar by a nonflammable gas such as nitrogen. The containers are provided with a discharge orifice which communicates with a distribution nozzle for the extinguishing agent. In such containers, the discharge orifice is closed by means of a frangible disc which is designed to withstand the high internal pressure of the container. In order to release the contents of the container into the ambient atmosphere, the disc must be destroyed and such destruction is customarily accomplished through the use of a highly active pyrotechnic separating element which has a hollow-charging effect. Thus, when a dangerous condition is sensed, the pyrotechnic separating element or other active detonator device will be energized to destroy the closing disc to thereby release the extinguishing agent.
The prior art extinguishing agent containers, as briefly described above, have several serious disadvantages. Firstly, since the containers are constantly under pressure, they are difficult to transport and installation and service exposes personnel to a dangerous working condition. Further, the effectiveness of the dispersion of extinguishing agent from such containers is somewhat limited because the pressure in the container drops sharply when the closing disc is destroyed.